After moving to New York last summer, I received some interesting feedback from the locals shortly after I arrived. Apparently, saying pleasantries, making small talk, lending a had, and other common courtesies are strange nowadays. Holding doors, offering up a seat on a train, helping someone carry packages are antiquated. It quickly became a refrain.
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
East Coast Girls Are Hip
Born in Jersey. Raised in Florida. Transplanted in New York. Aside from my five years in Japan, I have always been an East Coast Girl. My colleagues often compliment my hard work and chalk up my eagerness to assist and entertain to my “southern upbringing”. They found my “southern comfort” refreshing in the hustle and bustle of the Empire State which I certainly take to heart. Though I chalk some of my quirks up to my ‘being from the South’, compared to Georgia, the Carolinas, or anywhere north of Gainesville, south Florida is a completely different color of horse.
South Florida’s diversity pulls from many different cultures, but the part of the state I hail from does not lend to the traditional textbook definition of “The South”. Being close to Miami and going to a culturally diverse high school, I was able to embrace the flavor of the Greater Miami Area. When I think of The South, I think of the stereotypical symbols: Gone With the Wind, Southern Belles, Juliette Gordon-Low, Savannah, Atlanta, Paula Deen, and the list goes on and on. South Beach and anything south of Orlando is a completely different story.
Perhaps the summer season has me by the collar. When I return to New York later this month, I will throw myself straight into the annual summer camp and packing to move to my new housing assignment. Though the summers up North are milder compared to the sweltering humidity of the Everglades, it calls to me to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, moonlight, and the fresh air. Often I joke about being “an inside cat”, but it is true. Growing up with the air conditioning on from March until October, I grew accustomed to staying inside. I look out the window with longing, reminiscing about summer camps, pool parties, and playing outside from sunrise to sunset. How did I use to do it when I was a kid?
The Not So Dirty, Dirty South
While perusing the magazine selection at the store today, my curiosity got the best of me and I threw Southern Lady (May/June 2010) and their sister magazine Tea Time (July/August 2010; Volume 7 Issue 4) atop my stack of glossies to purchase. During the World Cup game this evening, I flicked through both, diverting my attention from the tension and excitement. Tweeting with my pals up in Gainesville, we started hashing out ides for a tea party. Not a traditional afternoon tea, but being the diverse group of creative thinkers we are, we came up with a theme. Granted, it is not very southern in sense that there would be hoop skirts, lace gloves, and lots of fine china, but it seems more appropriate for my group dynamic.
My greatest concern is when said tea party “eleganza extravaganza” should take place. As I no longer live near my tight circle of friends in central Florida, the next feasible date would be during winter vacation. However, that may now be a particularly bad thing as it would give me time to create a menu, select teas and entertainment, as well as provide time for everyone to select and design their costumes. Yes, costumes. We figure that if we are to have our first tea party, it might as well be fun. Winter may be best as it would justify copious amount of hot beveraging and delectable treats. It would also give me several months to practice.
I may not be the hostess of the group, but the perfectionist within refuses to anything less than 100%. I want the experience to not only be educational, but more importantly entertaining enough for a repeat performance. I want to tap my inner Julia Sugerbaker, embrace my sassy Blanche Devereaux, and develop my inner Ya-Ya. Hundreds of miles away from ‘home’, I want to remember the smell of pine, palm, and air plants. I want to relish the savoury tastes of my youth. As I flick through the pages, I see so many ideas that look simple enough for a bumpkin like myself to tackle. I not only want to walk through my door and feel at home, but I want others to see visiting my home as an adventurous escape.
I wonder if subscribing to these magazines would be a worthwhile investment. As they are region specific, I doubt I will be able to find them once I am back up north. Ladies of the South, what other magazines would you recommend for a fledgling hostess and home decorator in her early 30s?
A Year Round Celebration
Magazine subscriptions aside, I have managed to refrain from committing myself to a monthly delivery program. When I flicked to page 18 in Southern Lady, I found this really cute design idea that I could really dig. Year of Seeds ($79.95) by Red Envelope would be a nice splash of color on my window sill or table top. Without the ability to have a garden of my own and the lack of storage to maintain large window boxes, these small planter pots are 2½” x 2½” x 3” and come with everything necessary to grow the flowers.
I always joke about having a technological black thumb, but it also crosses over into my gardening ability. When I was a junior in college, I did a research paper on the art and popularity of Japanese bonsai trees. I learned that when properly taken care of, the juniper in particular, is virtually indestructible. My parents were kind enough to buy me a juniper bonsai to celebrate my high marks on the paper. Unfortunately, I killed the ‘virtually indestructible’ tree within a few months. From that moment on, I swore off all plants that were not edible or artificial. It has only taken ten years or so for me to even contemplate another foray into gardening, but even if it is on a small scale, it’s a step in the right direction, yeah?
Looking over all those gorgeous table settings in the magazines, flowers appear to be a staple in ‘Southern Living’. There’s something mature and classy about a table with flowers on them. Even sprigs of green or small clippings of flowers dress up a setting. I would need to wait until later this month when I return to New York to order them, but I think these planters paired up with the Year of Wishes Candles may make for interesting conversation pieces and lovely home accents in my slice of the South in the North.
I terribly torn being a Girl Raised In The South and a Damn Yankee at the same time. ;)
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